Harakat al-Tajdid wal-Islah fi Najd
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- ‘Abd Allāh al-‘Ajlān
Harakat al-Tajdid wal-Islah fi Najd fi al-Asr al-Hadith (The Movement of Renewal and Reform in Najd in the Modern Era) is a study by the Saudi scholar and educator Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Ajlan examining the religious, educational, and intellectual dimensions of the reform movement led by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab in Najd .
Background and Composition
The book originated as an approximately fifty-page research paper prepared for the symposium "Trends of Contemporary Islamic Thought," organized by the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States and held in Bahrain in Jumada al-Akhirah 1405 AH . Following the publication of the symposium proceedings, colleagues urged the author to expand the paper into an independent book . Al-Ajlan subsequently restructured and broadened the text, completing the work in Riyadh in Jumada al-Thaniyah 1409 AH / January 1989 CE .
Purpose and Scope
Rather than providing a purely chronological or political history of the movement, the author set out to examine its foundational principles, theological tenets, pedagogical methodology, and the roots of the controversies surrounding it . The book highlights the movement's educational curriculum (al-minhaj al-tarbawi) designed to cultivate individuals, society, and political leadership, presenting it as an early catalyst for modern Islamic reform movements .
Structure and Contents
The work comprises an introduction and six main chapters:
- Introduction: Surveys the general political and religious state of the Muslim world during the twelfth Islamic century .
- Chapter One: Explores pre-reform conditions in Najd across political, religious, social, and economic realms, highlighting prevailing divisions and religious deviations .
- Chapter Two: Details the biography of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, including his lineage, birth, upbringing, scholarly travels, intellectual influences, and preaching methods .
- Chapter Three: Analyzes the core doctrine of the movement, asserting its conformity with the creed of early Muslim generations (al-Salaf al-Salih), its foundational aims, and its legal methodology, including its stance toward the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence .
- Chapter Four: Details the movement's educational framework, covering its practical objectives, pedagogical characteristics, and the impact of education on mobilizing the reform effort .
- Chapter Five: Examines domestic and external opposition, addressing the controversies and accusations raised against the call and refuting them using primary writings .
- Chapter Six: Assesses the political, religious, social, and economic outcomes of the movement and its broader influence across the Arabian Peninsula and the wider Islamic world .
Sources and Methodology
The work relies primarily on the direct writings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, placing particular emphasis on his theological treatises and personal correspondence, supplemented by works of early scholars of the movement and historical chronicles of the era .
Answer updated